City of Mist Players Guide (Amít Moshe) (Z-Library)

A emerge out of bodies of water C turn into water H turn others into water MOBILITY Wherever there is water, there I am. “Who can I trust to protect the Fifth Sun?” B uncontrolled liquidation MOBILITY THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Nine Lives When you Take the Risk with power tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! Do Try to Keep Up Once per session, when you or someone rolls 6 or less and the MC makes a move, you can make a single (additional) move before the MC’s move takes place. You move is considered to precede the MC’s move and can affect or even nullify it (e.g., by reducing its tier, granting you a status, or simply changing the circumstances). Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Once per session, you can have your character show up or already be at a scene anywhere in the City (including cutscenes). Alternately, you can ask the MC to start a scene anywhere in the City, with your character present. Hit the Brakes You can stop just before things get messy. Once per scene, when you score a 7-9 on Take the Risk, after hearing the MC’s hard bargain or ugly choice, you can choose to forego the success of your feat and walk away unharmed. Rev Up Once per session, if you can ready yourself for an action involving your mobility powers, you can choose to take an appropriate tier-2 status. 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 101

A MAGICAL WEAPON • A MAGICAL PIECE OF ARMOR OR CLOTHING • A GIFT FROM ANOTHER REALM • A BAG FULL OF WONDERS • MUNDANE EQUIPMENT IMBUED WITH LEGEND • A BLESSED OR WITCHED ITEM MYTHOS THEMEBOOK Myths and legends are full of magical items and objects. The mojo, wanga, or gri-gri bag of African traditions could hold powerful prayers or spells. Neptune’s trident gave its bearer command over the seas and over water. A hagoromo, the feathered garment worn by the Japanese celestial beings called Tennin, allowed them to fly. The Seal of Solomon was said to have the power to command demons. The Irish Fair Folk, the Tuatha Dé Dannan, had four magical treasures they cherished: a cauldron, a spear, a sword, and a sacred stone. People are not the only Rifts in the City. Sometimes, a Mythos manifests through an item, called a Relic. The item could be a special one, such as a necklace passed down from generation to generation, or a seemingly mundane object, like a baseball bat. Due to the power of the Mist, a Relic almost always seems like a modern-day object while its powers are inactive. When you have a single Relic theme, you are not the Rift through which the Mythos enters the City – your item is. Relics have a certain degree 102 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your Mythos. In the legend, is there an item of great power? Is it more interesting to you than the people who wield it? What powers did this item have? Based on the legend, think about the answer to the question below: ? FOR WHAT PURPOSE WAS YOUR MYTHOS MADE? • It’s a receptacle used to hold . • It’s a device that can . • It’s a weapon forged to . • It’s a made to protect from . • It was an insignificant object, until it was . • It was a set of items which together . Next, think of a few details from your legend that you can use to flesh out this concept. Use them to inspire your answers to the tag questions below. POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT IS THE MAIN USEFUL FEATURE OR PART OF YOUR RELIC? can turn into any weapon, a fetish for voodoo spells, grants control over sea and water, flying feathered robe, enslaver of demons, Spear of Lugh B NAME ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH YOU USE THE SAME FEATURE. slice through opposition, a spell to ward off evil spirits, create a spring of water, aerial mastery, summon Asmodeus, precise hurling C WHAT ESSENTIAL USEFUL QUALITY LIES AT THE CORE OF YOUR RELIC? destructive physical force, protection from unnatural harm, wrathful, feather-light, wisdom of heaven, strive for the welfare of my clan D WHAT COSMETIC ATTRIBUTES DOES YOUR RELIC POSSESS? inconspicuous in bracelet form, creepy decorations, a weapon worthy of a God, colorful plumage, signet of kings, disappears when a mortal holds it E WHAT OTHER FEATURE, PART, OR ITEM DOES YOUR RELIC INCLUDE? indestructible, a spell for luck in gambling, rock-shattering prongs, shapeshift into a bird, summon Naamah, Cauldron of the Dagda F WHAT IS REVEALED TO YOU THROUGH THE USE OF YOUR RELIC? rings in the presence of wrongdoing, reveal enchantments, clairvoyance through water, recognize spiritual beings for what they are, see one’s demons, sense who is the ruler of this place of awareness; even if they cannot speak or move on their own, they can sometimes activate their powers at opportune moments and steer their destiny towards someone special – a bearer. Most Relics choose a bearer and cannot then be activated by anyone else, so while the Relic is the Rift between the two of you, you still technically possess the power. RELICS OF MYTHOI THAT ARE NOT ITEMS Most often, Relics channel the Mythoi of legendary items, so an object is incarnated in an object. This is simply the associative nature of Mythoi. However, in some rare cases, a modern-day item can channel the Mythos of a legendary person or creature, too. For example, a pistol could channel the Mythos of the Dragon or a antique spyglass could be the Rift for the Mythos of pirate Long John Silver (Treasure Island). Presumably, human Rifts could channel the Mythos of legendary items too; however, they would not be considered Relics. 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 103

G WHAT OR WHO WAS YOUR RELIC DESIGNED TO AFFECT MOST? ignores armor, doubly potent against aggressors, mold the fate of mortals, enchanting attraction, “You shall obey, demon.”, hungers for Fomorian blood H WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR RELIC? ancient swordsmanship, crafting new spells, speak with aquatic life, play the biwa (lute), demonology, perseverance I WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR RELIC GOES INTO OVERDRIVE? bigger explosions, blessing of prosperity, a storm is brewing, turn ethereal, army of demons, the Cauldron revives the mortally wounded J WHAT ASPECT OR ELEMENT OF YOUR RELIC ARE YOU ONLY BEGINNING TO UNLOCK? transform into armor, a prayer of hope, ride the waves, the lotus of enlightenment, summon Baal, Sword of Nuada WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT IS THE MOST TROUBLESOME SHORTCOMING OF YOUR RELIC? leaves signature markings on victims, only as strong as I am pure, requires a nearby body of water, easily slips off, I always hear demons, cumbersome B WHAT CAN INTERFERE WITH THE POWERS OF YOUR RELIC? hermetic wizardry, lost on the faithless, the Olympian gods, mortal love – the earthly tether, rampant demons are harder to control, asleep in times of peace C WHAT CAN DAMAGE OR DESTROY YOUR RELIC? Lady of the Lake and the folk of Avalon, bad juju, the heat of a forge, too easily torn, infernal incantations, dissention in my clan D WHAT HAS CHANGED IN YOU FOR THE WORSE BECAUSE OF YOUR RELIC? bloodthirsty, eccentric mumbling, condescending prick, distant and aloof, demonic rage, obese EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. MYSTERY Choose a Mystery for this theme: a question that your Mythos wants you to explore, investigate, or discover the answer to. It could be related to your powers, to your legend, or to your mundane life. For example: • (Mojo bag) “What did that witch doctor do to my unborn child?” • (Hagoromo) “Where can I find the one who seeks enlightenment?” • (Solomon’s Seal) “What are the Shedim planning behind my back?” You can try exploring the following options: • Questions about the predetermined destiny of your Relic • Fears of losing yourself to your Relic or becoming too reliant on it • Seeking the maker of the Relic Write your Mystery on your theme card. Let the MC know what kind of clues your character might find interesting. The MC will provide opportunities for you to find answers to your Mystery. Ignoring these opportunities means you have lost interest in what your Mythos has in store for you. 104 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates its nature and style. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Mojo bag) Bag of Many Blessings • (Hagoromo) Kimono of Celestial Beauty • (Solomon’s Seal) Kiss My Ring, Demon CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • Once, in a moment of crisis, one of them tried to borrow your Relic. What happened next? If you didn’t like that, take a Hurt point on them. If you thought they did right by your Relic, take a Help point on them. • One of them has more knowledge about your Relic than you do. Ask them whether they’re sharing it with you. If so, take a Help point on them. If not, take a Hurt point on them. • To your Mythos, one of them seems like the modern-day version of the character who was supposed to own this Relic, the character who steals it, or the character whom this Relic was meant to destroy or save. Take a Help or Hurt point on them accordingly. RELIC THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Eternal Bond Mark a power tag from this theme as burnt to immediately retrieve your Relic from anywhere in the City. Mark Fade to immediately remove all statuses from your Relic (including tier-6 statuses). This can reform your Relic in case it was destroyed or broken. Made For This Choose a Core Move that best represents the actions you most often use your Relic for. Whenever you use it with tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! Ultimate Unlock You tap into the deepest place of power within your Relic – and unleash it. When you Stop. Holding. Back. you can choose to forego the roll and gain an automatic 10+ by marking an additional Fade on this theme. If your sacrifice is Significant or No Return, you mark Fade twice instead of once (in No Return, you also burn this theme’s tags). If your sacrifice is Ultimate, you replace this theme. Transference Some of the power of your Relic rubbed off on you. Choose a power tag question from any of the other Mythos themebooks and answer it. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. The Mythos Within Choose a Mythos themebook that best represents the powers of your Relic. Choose a theme improvement from that themebook. A a fetish for voodoo spells D creepy decorations E a spell for luck in gambling RELIC Bag of Many Blessings “What did that witch doctor do to my unborn child?” C bad juju

INVISIBILITY • TRICKERY AND ILLUSIONS • THIEVERY AND STEALTH • HYPNOTISM AND SUBTLE MANIPULATION • HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT • SECRECY AND COUNTER-DETECTION Not all Mythoi blast the world directly with their legendary tale. In a city haunted by the Mist, Mythoi have learned that gifting their Rifts with the ability to act secretly can help them secure a deeper and more lasting influence. Other Mythoi are simply subversive in nature, legends and stories of forces operating in the shadows, whether benign or insidious. Their powers are those of deception, secrecy, illusion, and trickery. The Rift of the Puss in Boots could have the power to strangely make others think she is someone of importance; Siegfried of the Song of the Nibelungs could conjure a cloak of invisibility; the trickster god Loki could fashion life-like illusions with his thoughts; the Scottish Shifty Lad could steal anything from anyone; the Devil’s Advocate could seduce and corrupt even the purest of souls; while a Changeling could rob your identity. MYTHOS THEMEBOOK 106 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your Mythos. In the legend, did your Mythos operate secretly or deceptively? Was she able to move and act undetected? Did she use her powers to undermine authority or erode stability of either people or organizations? How so? Based on the legend, think about the answer to the question below: ? HOW DOES YOUR MYTHOS HIDE ITS ACTIVITY IN THE WORLD? • It can mask or veil . • It can secretly tamper with . • It employs cunning . • It’s difficult or impossible to detect by . Next, think of a few details from your legend that you can use to flesh out this concept. Use them to inspire your answers to the tag questions below. POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE ABILITY YOU USE TO MASK OR HIDE YOUR ACTIONS? illusory appearance, a false air of importance, cloak of invisibility, miraculously sneak in and out of anywhere, corrupt those who hold power, take another person’s identity B HOW DO YOU USE YOUR POWER TO DISTRACT OTHERS? induce hypnotic trance, beguiling boots & garb, echo of my voice, bewitched absent-mindedness, mistaken for an angel, memory wipe C WHAT USEFUL QUALITY DOES YOUR MAIN EFFECT HAVE? make hypnotic suggestion, produce fake gold, threatening whispers, “let’s bet on it”, demonic seduction, appear like one’s close confidant D WHAT DO YOU DO BEST UNDER THE COVER OF SECRECY? waltz in unregarded, sway them to shower me with gifts, smite with the strength of twelve men, impossible thievery, weaken one’s faith, silent kill E WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO FALL PREY TO YOUR SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY? stronger against simple-minded people, the rich will be poor, “You are blinded by your pride”, the king will never catch me, corrupt the purest souls, just an unpretentious Joe or Jane F HOW DOES OPERATING SECRETLY ALLOW YOU TO LEARN NEW INFORMATION? mind reading, intuit every detail of one’s wealth, see the invisible, sense one’s darkest desires, steal their memories G WHO ARE YOU IN LEAGUE WITH? summon fox helpers, the pizza parlor owner’s youngest son, Alberich’s biker gang, the Master Thief, Lucifer himself, unwitting loved ones H WHAT IS UNLIKELY TO AFFECT YOU THANKS TO YOUR POWERS? laws of Man don’t apply to me, “Oh please… you don’t expect me to fall for that?”, protected from scrying, can’t steal from a thief, divine immunity, masked true identity I WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES OR CONDITIONS IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO ACT UNDETECTED? intoxicated delirium, hungry for blood, harder to see in the dark, vanish in the crowd, infernal courtroom superiority J WHAT OTHER TANGENTIAL SUBVERSIVE POWER HAVE YOU DEVELOPED? creep without a sound, control the wearer of the boots, seduce powerful women, make a lock open, siphon one’s vitality, momentarily shift into Faerie 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 107

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT COULD EXPOSE YOU? elaborate trickery is easier to expose, exaggerations don’t check out, they can see my footsteps…, wise advice, revealed by the holy light of heaven, cold iron B WHAT IS REVEALED WHEN YOU ARE EXPOSED? just a kid, empty pockets, the shameful deeds of the past, caught in the act, victims always have hope for redemption, an ugly goblin C WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU HIDING FROM? reality sucks, the pizza parlor owner’s youngest son, “I’m nothing without the cloak”, police magnet, Lilith herself, the Gatekeepers D WHAT DISADVANTAGEOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL TENDENCIES HAVE YOU DEVELOPED IN THE SHADOWS OR BEHIND YOUR MASK? (don’t) play with mortals, greediness killed the cat, superiority complex, must tease and taunt my victims, grows fond of my protege, fake personality EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. MYSTERY Choose a Mystery for this theme: a question that your Mythos wants you to explore, investigate, or discover the answer to. It could be related to your powers, to your legend, or to your mundane life. For example: • (Puss in Boots) “Just how rich can I make my client?” • (The Devil’s advocate) “Can I ever find redemption?” • (Changeling) “Who are my real parents?” You can try exploring the following options: • Seeking clarity about what is real and what is illusory • Searching for new ways to subversively advance your Mythos’ agenda • Moral doubts about using your powers to deceive others Write your Mystery on your theme card. Let the MC know what kind of clues your character might find interesting. The MC will provide opportunities for you to find answers to your Mystery. Ignoring these opportunities means you have lost interest in what your Mythos has in store for you. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates its nature and style. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Puss in Boots) Purrrfect Salesman • (The Devil’s advocate) Illegal Advice • (Changeling) Switchback Persona CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them saw something that incriminated you or revealed what you truly are. What was it and under what circumstances? If you have since made them your confidant, take a Help point on them. Otherwise, take a Hurt point on them. • You share a secret with one of them, something that the other crew members don’t know. Take a Help point on them, but if this crewmate ever blows the lid on your secret, take a Hurt point on them too. 108 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

• One of them makes you feel exposed. You find their powers, abilities, or personality invasive. Take a Hurt point on them. SUBVERSION THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Cloak & Dagger When you Sneak Around with power tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! Under The Wings Of Darkness When you Sneak Around with power tags from this theme, on a 10+, you can use your powers to hide or mask the actions of another character in the scene. Stalker When you Sneak Around with power tags from this theme and get a hit, you also get 1 Clue. When you Investigate with power tags from this theme, on 7-9, the MC or the target player cannot choose to ask you a question back. Oblivious Choose one existing NPC or PC. When you Convince them or Sneak Around them using tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! If that character dies or leaves the story, you can choose a new target. Go for the Jugular You have a knack for catching people off guard. If your powers can reasonably affect your target, you always have the clear shot or opening required to make a Hit With All You’ve Got move (you don’t need to make another move to get it). A take another person’s identity B steal their memories J momentarily shift into Faerie SUBVERSION Switchback Persona “Who are my real parents?” A cold iron 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 109

A THUNDERING REALIZATION • LOSS OF A LOVED ONE, VALUED POSSESSION, OR SOCIAL STANDING • AN ACCIDENT • RISE TO GREATNESS • 15 MINUTES OF FAME • ENLIGHTENMENT DEFINING EVENT Life throws you curveballs you can’t anticipate, dramatic events that shape you irrevocably. For better or worse, the person you used to be before this event either ceased to exist or was abandoned in favor of a new version of you, one that was forged in that fateful moment or period. Perhaps it was an accident, a crime you were involved in, a revelation, a chance meeting that influenced you, a great victory, a time of trials, etc. The Defining Event theme focuses on the residual influence of a specific event or time in your character’s life. Having a Defining Event theme means you still define yourself through that moment or time in your life. If the follow-up of that event is just as central to your story as the memory of what happened and how it shaped you, you should pick another appropriate theme (either in addition to or instead of the Defining Event theme). For example, if you swore to do something following a tragic event, perhaps a Mission theme is in order; if you gained Mythos powers, you should represent them using one of the Mythos theme types. LOGOS THEMEBOOK 110 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life, particularly her past. Where does she come from? What did she do? What time in her life influenced and shaped her the most? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE FOREVER? • When I was [age], . • One day, . • There was a time in my life when . Next, flesh out your idea with some details: When did this happen? Who was involved? What happened in the aftermath of this life-altering event? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT KIND OF STRONG EMOTION DID YOUR DEFINING EVENT LEAVE YOU WITH? filled with rage, a sense of unity with all life, driven to mete out justice, ambition B WHAT PART OF YOUR OLD SELF, WHILE DEEPLY CHANGED, STILL SERVES YOU? ex-celebrity, youthful curiosity, inherited fortune, love of the local community C WHAT MUNDANE BUT USEFUL OBJECT DID YOU OBTAIN DURING YOUR DEFINING EVENT, THAT HAS BEEN WITH YOU EVER SINCE? Helix Labs access card, a rusty sword, a picture of my enemy, fancy clothes D WHAT AUTHORITY WAS VESTED IN YOU DURING YOUR DEFINING EVENT OR AFTER IT? leader of a secret order of knights, the chosen one, head of a corporation, City mayor E WHO DID YOU BOND OR CONNECT WITH IN THE AFTERMATH OF YOUR DEFINING EVENT? media connections, a majestic eagle, a trusted butler, a secret sponsor, a gang of lowlifes and rejects F WHAT SKILL OR MUNDANE ABILITY DID YOU PICK UP DURING OR DUE TO YOUR DEFINING EVENT? meditation, swordsmanship, light sleep, lying shamelessly, wilderness survival G WHAT KNOWLEDGE DID YOU GAIN ACCESS TO THANKS TO YOUR DEFINING EVENT? manual of medical conditions, a sacred prayer, the underworld, City finances H WHAT APPROACH TO LIFE DID YOU ADOPT FOLLOWING YOUR DEFINING EVENT? “can’t be too safe”, humility, always prepared, power-hungry, survival of the fittest I WHAT PHYSICAL CHANGE OR IMPROVEMENT STEMMED FROM YOUR DEFINING EVENT? acute sense of smell, great reflexes, sprinter, fake smile J HOW DO PEOPLE TREAT YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR DEFINING EVENT? secret admirer, commands reverence, fearsome, no one dares to refuse me 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 111

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT EMOTIONAL SCAR OR BAGGAGE DID YOUR DEFINING EVENT LEAVE YOU WITH? emotional, craves guidance, vengeful, hollow inside, angry at ex-partner B FOLLOWING YOUR DEFINING EVENT, WHAT RESPONSIBILITY OR SOCIAL BURDENS DO YOU HAVE TO SHOULDER? rejected as a freak, oath of solitude, pretends to be a playboy, angry voters, a never-ending to-do list C WHO OR WHAT IS HAUNTING YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR DEFINING EVENT? Helix Labs investigators, agents of the rival faction, nightmares and flashbacks, enamored secretary D WHAT IS NOW BROKEN WITHIN YOU, PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY, DUE TO YOUR DEFINING EVENT? light sensitivity, training injury, over-exhaustion, asthma attack, twisted psyche EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive or belief related to your defining event. For example: • (Unwillingly killed loved one) “I will never forgive myself.” • (Mountain-top experience) “Peace within and without is the path to enlightenment.” • (Big heist) “One last job, they said. Never again.” You can try exploring the following options: • A world view that you adopted following your defining event • Something you promised to yourself or someone else following your defining event • How you perceive yourself in light of your defining event Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means the impact of this event on your life is waning. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates the event or its impact on your life. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Unwillingly killed loved one) Never Say His Name • (Mountain-top experience) Path of Tranquility • (Big heist) The Museum Job CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them was present in your defining event. What was their part in it? Take a Help or Hurt point on them or accordingly. • One of them is trying to help you (or make you) get over your defining event and move on. If you appreciate it, take a Help point on them. If you resent it, take a Hurt point on them. • In the aftermath of your defining event, one of them was there to help you pick up your life without judging or asking questions. Take a Help point on them. 112 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

DEFINING EVENT THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Touchy Subject Whenever someone else mentions your defining event in a way that irks or offends you, you can choose to go into an emotional state and take an appropriate tier-2 status of your choice for the rest of the scene or until you calm down, whichever comes sooner. When it’s over, the MC will give you an ongoing tier-1 status to reflect the aftermath of your behavior. Take It To The Grave When other PCs get a Clue on you, or when the MC asks you a question to which you must reply with a straight answer or a solid lead, they can’t ask you about your defining event. Echoes From The Past Choose and answer a power tag question from the Training, Routine, or Defining Relationship themebooks that reflects something of who you were before, something that now re-emerges. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. Over It Whenever the MC or another player invokes one of this theme’s weakness tags, you can say “I’m over it” and count the tag as a power tag instead. Mark Crack. Getting Good at This You’ve become comfortable with who you are now. Choose a Core Move that best reflects the way you use this theme’s tags. Whenever you use it with tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! A driven to mete out justice C a picture of my enemy I fake smile DEFINING EVENT Never Say His Name “I will never forgive myself.” C nightmares and flashbacks 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 113

A LOVE INTEREST • SOMEONE DEPENDENT ON YOU • A FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND • A TEACHER OR MENTOR • A TEAM, GANG, OR OTHER AFFILIATION • A PARTNER OR A SIDEKICK • A NEMESIS DEFINING RELATIONSHIP Being alive is being connected to others. Everyone has someone who has shaped their lives – for better or for worse: a parent, a friend, a lover, a mentor, etc. Even relationships with those who have done you wrong could be a part of who you are. For the most part, however, relationships are complicated: there is the good and the bad, the push and the pull, what you give and what you get. A defining relationship isn’t just any important relationship: it’s at the center of your life (along with your other themes). It makes you who you are or takes up a lot of your time. Perhaps you have a crazy lover who’s into guns and knives and always gets you into trouble. If you are the Rift of the Mythos of Lucifer, maybe you and your father have a complicated relationship ever since he kicked you out of the house. Your partner in crime could be the only person you trust. Or your grandchild brings you joy that makes life worth living. Relationships are not restricted to individuals; you can have a relationship with a group. This can include family and social relationships as well as more formal affiliations. You could be the religious leader of an underprivileged community that is counting on you for strength. Maybe you are a member of a secret club or cult, whose other LOGOS THEMEBOOK 114 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life. Which individual or group means the world to her, plays a major role in her life, or has the most influence on her? With whom does she feel she belongs? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHO PLAYS THE BIGGEST ROLE IN YOUR LIFE? • My (grand)parent / sibling / spouse / (grand)child / lover / best friend / mentor or guru / neighbor / partner / employer / etc. • My family / friends / social circle / community / company / gang / teammates / etc. • The club / cult / association / movement / etc. I belong to. Next, flesh out your idea with some details: How close are you to them? Do they know about your Mythical powers? Are they Rifts themselves? What does your Mythos feel about them? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHY IS THIS RELATIONSHIP SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? a cushy bank account, true love, she keeps me on edge, I always have a home to go to, a partner in crime, a sense of belonging, a network of spies B NAME A USEFUL QUALITY OR SKILL THEY HAVE AND THAT THEY CAN USE TO HELP YOU. business acumen, clever boy, dirty infighting, love can heal anything, con artist, many hands make light work, secretive operation C WHAT WERE YOU FORCED TO LEARN BECAUSE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP? certified accountant, better excuses, never be caught off guard, hide my true feelings, demolitions, police procedures and how to avoid them, ancient languages D BEING AROUND THEM HAS MADE YOU... wealthier than ever before, popular, suave and attractive, angry at the world, good team player, determined, a good liar E WHEN YOU CALL FOR HELP, WHO WILL AID YOU? (THE ANSWER CAN BE YOUR RELATIONSHIP) family ‘friends’ in high places, my best friend, HER, an angel in a black limo, Ari Schmidt, Maria the flower girl, the White Rose F WHAT GIFT, HEIRLOOM, TOOL, ETC. DID THEY GIVE YOU? access to family assets, a picture of us, a serrated combat knife, an old compass, fake ID, a prayer book, a cyanide pill G TO DEAL WITH THEM, YOU NEED TO BE... my own person, daring, tougher than before, free of confinement, familiar with every scam in the book, compassionate, willing to go all the way H NAME AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU SHARE. arguing, (gossiping about) high-school rumors, pub crawling, chessboard war, breaking & entering, giving a sermon, planning machinations I WHAT HELPS YOU PROTECT THEM? members provide you with resources but demand results. And of course there is always the possibility that you are a part of a normal dysfunctional family, like so many in the City. If the object of your defining relationship is a character who exists in the series regardless of your relationship, the MC has control over the character. You can use your tags normally when they are relevant, e.g. to call on them, to receive help from them, to influence them, etc. If the object of your defining relationship features mostly in your character’s story, they become your secondary character (see Secondary Characters, page 236). 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 115

a battery of lawyers, face always hidden, I’d do anything for her, self-control, handheld radio, crimeworld connections, personality-switching techniques J WHERE DO YOU SPEND TIME TOGETHER? the mansion, football field bleachers, my motorcycle, Museum of the Arts, Ambrosia nightclub, the cathedral, the private gentlemen’s club WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A HOW CAN THEY BE HURT OR IMPEDED? financial trouble, cutting insults, always gets into trouble, sickly old man, forgets to watch his back, easily tempted, brought to light B WHAT NEGATIVE EFFECT DO THEY HAVE ON YOU? “the old wo/man will find out”, freezes when sees Kaito, something to prove, haunted by shame, taking too many risks, vengeful towards those who hurt the community, always being watched C WHO OR WHAT ELSE IS VYING FOR THEIR ATTENTION OR TIME? my successful brother-in-law, the most beautiful girl in school, her ex, Gabriel, drinking problems, everyday preoccupations, federal agents D UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD THEY BE UNABLE TO HELP YOU? a disgrace to the family, “You’re a freak!”, lost interest, fallen angel, running from the police, fear of being excommunicated, suspected of treason EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive or belief related to your defining Relationship. For example: • (Crazy lover) “Nothing will ever stand in the way of our love!” • (Partner in crime) “This will never work without Izzy. ” • (Congregation) “I won’t let my flock be mistreated or misled.” You can try exploring the following options: • A statement about what you would sacrifice for the object of your defining relationship • A belief about how much you need the object of your defining relationship • A wish you have for that person or group Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means you are losing interest in your relationship or that the other party is. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates your relationship and its place in your life. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Crazy lover) My Naughty Girlfriend • (Partner in crime) Izzy Malone, Easy Money • (Congregation) Deliver Us From Evil CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: 116 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

• One of them has openly or subtly challenged your relationship, trying to influence either you, the other party, or both to end it. Why? What do they get out of it? Take a Hurt point on them. • One of them once helped you save your relationship or the object of your relationship. What were the circumstances? How did they help? Take a Help point on them. • One of them is your ex (former lover, partner, mentor, employer, etc.) or otherwise preceded your current relationship (biological parent, member of a group you were previously affiliated with). Ask them whether they give their blessing to your new relationship. If they do, take a Help point on them. If they don’t, take a Hurt point on them. DEFINING RELATIONSHIP THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Forever When you have downtime and you choose to give this theme attention, you can choose to remove one Crack from this theme instead of receiving Attention. Protect At All Costs When you get a hit on Face Danger, you can always choose to extend the outcome to the object of your defining relationship (in addition to yourself), if it even remotely makes sense. Shared Experiences Choose a power tag question from the Defining Event or Personality themebooks that reflects a transformation you went through because of your relationship and answer it. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. Back-to-Back Once per session, when you make a move with the object of your defining relationship at your side, you can trade a miss result for a 7-9. Who’s the Boss Choose two Core Moves that best reflect your attitude towards the object of your defining relationship. When you make those moves against them, they’re Dynamite! A a sense of belonging H giving a sermon J the cathedral DEFINING RELATIONSHIP Deliver Us From Evil “I won’t let my flock be mistreated or misled.” D fear of being ex communicated 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 117

PHILANTHROPY OR GOOD-DOING • REVENGE • A SWORN OATH OR AN UNBREAKABLE PROMISE • A JOB THAT MUST GET DONE • AN ACT OF CONSCIENCE • A SOCIAL OR POLITICAL CAUSE • A PERSONAL GOAL • AN ONGOING SEARCH • AN OBSESSION MISSION It’s one thing to believe something should be done; it’s quite another to try and make it happen. Passion, necessity, hatred, and even destiny could all be the motives for which you have decided to undertake a great task. It may be a social or moral duty that you feel must actively be pursued, such as fighting crime or poverty. It could be a personal matter, such as the search for something stolen from you or a vendetta against someone who hurt you. It could even be a challenge you decided to take on. You could be pursuing this goal for your own benefit, for someone else’s sake, for your neighborhood, for the City, or even for all of humanity. Despite being a Logos theme, your Mission is not limited to the ordinary aspect of your life. You are a Rift, and within you the legendary becomes ordinary and vice versa. Maybe the Evil Queen poisoned your mother and you seek a cure; perhaps you vowed to bring down the Rift of Hades; or, as part of your Mythos as Anansi the Spider, you must capture the proverbial python, leopard, and hornets. The tags you gain from this theme can still only be of a mundane and ordinary nature as they are not Mythos powers; they are aspects gained through the pursuit of your mission. LOGOS THEMEBOOK 118 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life. What goal is she always thinking about? What has she dedicated her life to? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHAT IS YOUR GOAL? • I must / I swore to . • Following , I decided I will never stop . • This City needs . Next, flesh out your idea with some details: When and under what circumstances did you decide to undertake your mission? Who else is involved? Who gave you the mission? Who is the mission for? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT DO YOU NEED MOST IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT YOUR MISSION? brawl, seasoned negotiator, tracking, map of the subway system, sawed-off shotgun B WHAT WERE YOU FORCED TO LEARN WHILE ON YOUR MISSION? dodge, throw a punch, bypass electric locks, quick reload, Arthur’s tactics C WHO IS HELPING YOU ON YOUR MISSION? contacts in every neighborhood, an unknown informer, a beautiful cartographer, gang of petty crooks D WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU HAVE ABOUT THE TARGET OR GOAL OF YOUR MISSION? Anatoly’s underground operation, urban tales and legends, social welfare, common passwords E WHAT SORT OF TACTICS OR METHODS DO YOU EMPLOY TO REACH YOUR GOAL? snooping around, disguise, interrogation, lies lies lies, all out attack, “an eye for an eye”, smoke ‘em out F PURSUING YOUR MISSION HAS MADE YOU... athletic, a widely supported public figure, alert, lots of money, aware of every tiny movement around me, passionate about art G WHAT IS THE ROOT OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE TASK AT HAND? faith in the church, good citizen, sheer determination, I hate my boss, true love H WHAT USEFUL POSITION OR STATUS DID YOU HAVE TO EARN FOR THE MISSION TO SUCCEED? street cred, owner of local pawnshop, rooftop vantage point, working as the Queen’s cleaning lady, warmonger I WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH YOUR MISSION? safe house, a key to the lost chest, the recipe to an amazing sandwich, a red sports car, the mayor’s phone number J WHAT PART OF YOUR PLAN TO REALIZE YOUR GOAL HAVE YOU HONED THE MOST? ready for the kill, puzzle cracker, getaway car, a wooden stake, police connections 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 119

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OR BURDENS OF PURSUING THE MISSION? known vigilante, nervous, impossible schedule, domestic problems, a cureless disease, consumed by hatred, fugitive B WHAT ARE THE WEAK POINTS OR WILDCARDS IN YOUR PLAN? unreliable allies, they know I’m coming, little brother, Arthur’s cunning, the Queen’s mirror C WHICH APPROACH OR PSYCHOLOGICAL DISPOSITION WILL GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR ENDEAVORS? too eager, bouts of despair, cocky, “money is not an object”, gullible D WHY HAVE YOU NOT SUCCEEDED SO FAR? overpowering competition, the status-quo, Morgana, “I don’t know where to start”, can’t do this alone EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive or belief related to your mission. For example: • (Philanthropist) “The citizens of this city deserve better than this!” • (Vendetta) “She’ll pay for what she did to my family.” • (Aspirations) “Get rich or die trying.” You can try exploring the following options: • A strong conviction that drives you forward on your mission • The reason for which you undertook the mission • Hatred or disdain to anyone or anything who might stand in your way Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means you are losing interest in your mission or losing the drive to continue. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates your goal or what it says about you. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Philanthropist) Heart of Gold • (Vendetta) Lilith Must Die • (Aspirations) Hungry For More CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them is of great importance to your cause. If they play an instrumental role in your plans to achieve your goal, take a Help point on them. If they are a potential threat to your cause, take a Hurt point on them. • One of them has aided you in your efforts and earned your earnest gratitude and respect. Take a Help point on them. • One of them thinks your mission is doomed to fail or must never be allowed to succeed (they don’t have to tell you which). Ask them if they show it or hide it. If they show it, take a Hurt point on them. If they hide it, take a Help point on them. 120 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

MISSION THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Gung Ho Tell everyone at the table what is the next objective or milestone on your mission. You take a gung-ho-1 status which applies to all actions you take to achieve that objective. If this status is removed, you regain it on your next Montage (Downtime) move. When you complete the objective, remove the status and mark Crack. You can then announce a new objective or milestone. You can only have one Gung Ho objective and status at a time. Follow me! When you try to Convince someone to join your cause, it’s Dynamite! Can’t Be Too Ready Choose a power tag question from the Training or Possessions themebooks that reflects something you acquired in order to complete your mission and answer it. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. When Hell Freezes Over When you sacrifice something you truly want in order to abide by your Mission’s Identity, you not only mark Attention on the theme (as usual) but also remove one crack from it, if any. Getting Good At This Choose a Core Move that best represents your most common course of action on your mission. Whenever you use it with tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! A map of the subway system D urban tales and legends J police connections MISSION Lilith Must Die “She’ll pay for what she did to my family.” D can’t do this alone 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 121

CHARACTER TRAITS AND QUIRKS • TEMPERAMENT • PERSONAL STYLE • HABITS • SOCIAL SKILLS • LIFESTYLE • ATTITUDE • AN ONGOING ACT • MENTAL STABILITY OR LACK THEREOF PERSONALITY There is more to life than the things taking place around you. Who you are, how you experience things, and what goes on in your mind and heart can have a far greater impact on your life than any other single detail in it. Your personality can save you even when you have nothing else to show for, or it could be your undoing. Perhaps you are a persevering, salt-of-the-earth reporter, who stays positive and carries on exposing the truth despite pressing finances and threats LOGOS THEMEBOOK from upstairs. Maybe you’re a deranged professor whose inventive mind cracked under a barrage of incredible scientific insights. You could be a smooth talking charmer who slyly talks his way up the social ladder or a teenager too shy to allow herself to be seen. 122 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

D WHEN YOU WANT, YOU CAN ALSO COME ACROSS AS... threatening, seductive, authoritative, intelligent, pitiful, appear as a professional, dangerous E WHAT SPECIAL SKILL OR STATUS DID YOU PURSUE BECAUSE OF YOUR PERSONALITY? celebrity, sowing rumors, DIY repairs, perfect pitch, devise a deranged plan, press pass, no criminal record F WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR PERSONALITY KEEPS YOU SAFE OR HELPS YOU RESIST INFLUENCE? incorruptible, emotionally impervious, common sense, free thinker, cautious, talk my way out of anything, “You wouldn’t hurt a child, would you?” G WHAT QUALITY OR ITEM BEST EXPRESSES YOUR PERSONAL STYLE OR ENHANCES IT? cornfed, jewelry baby!, underarm holster, fashionable carry-all bag, lab coat, designer suits, hidden kitchen cleaver H WHAT USEFUL HABIT OR ROUTINE HAVE YOU CULTIVATED THANKS TO YOUR PERSONALITY? pick-up lines, sniff out a social disaster, light sleeper, all the dance moves, stink bombs formula, sales pitch, people-watching I WHAT TYPICALLY INTERESTS YOU? city current affairs, shopping, reported conspiracies, city nightlife, recent scientific breakthroughs, local big players, psychology J HOW DO YOU STRIVE TO IMPROVE YOURSELF? push myself, be kind to others, lead from the front, I'll try anything once, try to appear sane, get rich quick schemes CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life. How does she behave? What kind of personality traits does she display? Is she playing a role for the world to see? What does she think or feel about herself? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHAT ARE YOU LIKE? • I am often . • I want others to . • Other people find me . • I think / feel that, as far as people go, I am . Next, flesh out your idea with some details: How does your personality affect others around you? What made you develop this personality (life events, parenting, genetics, choice)? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT LIES AT THE CORE OF YOUR PERSONALITY? Truly wants to do good, tough as nails, self-reliant, my own type of eccentric, limitless creativity, opportunist, I wish I could just disappear B WHAT IS THE FIRST THING PEOPLE NOTICE ABOUT YOU? handsome, glamorous, rugged, hipster look, bottle-bottom glasses, people see what they want to see, easily overlooked C WHAT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS DO YOU HAVE THANKS TO YOUR PERSONALITY? charming, bullshit detector, good judge of character, sarcastic remarks, creep people out, talk anyone into anything, never spills the beans 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 123

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET YOURSELF GO TOO FAR? clingy attention seeker, bitter, distrustful, tries too hard, overexcited and unintelligible, self-promoting, people think I’m a freak B WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE OR CONDITIONS MAKE YOUR PERSONALITY LESS EFFECTIVE? hostile crowd, hyenas in evening gowns, soft spot for children, wasted on the common people, psychiatric drugs, bad angle, small spaces C WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR APPEARANCE, STYLE, OR PHYSIQUE CAN GET IN THE WAY? memorable face, sore joints, harsh frown, tangled headphones cable, unkempt mass of hair, poor man’s shoes, delicate D WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE PUSHED TO THE CORNER? fit of rage, mental breakdown, petrified, drama queen, analysis paralysis, speechless, trauma re-enactment EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive or belief related to your personality. For example: • (Deranged professor) “Sorry the professor is not in right now. Can I take a message?” • (Manipulator) “If you want to get ahead, always say what they want to hear.” • (Quiet and discreet) “I’m not here! You can try exploring the following options: • A typical quote that encapsulates your personality • How you would like others to see you or treat you • What you think about yourself Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means your personality is changing and that you do not rely on the same attitude as before. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates your personality and style. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Deranged professor) A Few Sandwiches Short Of A Picnic • (Manipulator) Smooth Operator • (Quiet and discreet) Wallflower CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them dislikes something about your behavior and is repeatedly making comments about it or trying to get you to change. Ask them what do they dislike and what would it take for them to be happy with you. Whatever they say, take a Hurt point on them. • One of them accepts you the way you are, maybe even likes your personality. Take a Help point on them. • The personality of one of them seems to be the exact opposite of yours (even if they don’t have a theme for it). If it makes it easier for your personality to shine or for you to be yourself, take a Help point on them. If it comes into conflict with your personality, take a Hurt point on them. 124 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

PERSONALITY THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: This Is My Moment Once per session, you can impose +1 tier when you Convince or get +1 Juice when you Change the Game using tags from this theme. It’s Showtime Choose a single power tag from this theme. When you burn it for a hit, you get an automatic result of 9 (instead of 7) and a Power of 3, for a total unmodified score of 12. Statuses apply to both your automatic result and your Power, as usual. Reinvent Myself When you replace this theme, you can choose to take a new Personality theme instead of a Mythos theme. As usual, you lose all your improvements, including this one, and gain Build-Up points instead. Your new personality must be entirely different than the theme you discarded. Why I Do This Choose and answer a power tag question from the Defining Relationship, Possessions, or Routine themebooks that reflects the company you keep, the things you own, or the things you do regularly because of your personality. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. Getting Good At This Choose a Core Move that best represents your personality. Whenever you use it with tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! A opportunist C talk anyone into anything E press pass PER SONALITY Smooth Operator “If you want to get ahead, always say what they want to hear.” C poor man’s shoes 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 125

GUNS, LOTS OF GUNS • AN OUTFITTED VEHICLE • A TOOL SET • CASH, SAVINGS, OR ASSETS • A HOARD • USEFUL PERSONAL EFFECTS • STANDARD ISSUE OR CUSTOM GEAR • TRINKETS POSSESSIONS The world is full of useful stuff: things that make your life easier, that do your job for you, or that can make other people do as you say. The right tools can speed things up, and sometimes you can’t get the job done without them at all. Weapons can be used for self-defense, intimidation, tackling opposition, or just mindless violence. Vehicles help you get around. Worldly possessions keep you happy and flush. Possessions may or may not have a purpose. When you keep or carry certain equipment, expecting you’ll need it, it is most likely connected to your activities. Conversely, you may be hoarding things just for the sake of owning them or for no reason at all. Note that this theme represents only mundane possessions; if there’s anything legendary, supernatural, technologically advanced, or even mysterious about your possessions, such as Dr. Frankenstein’s lab equipment, you should use the Relic theme. LOGOS THEMEBOOK 126 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life. What does she normally carry around on her person? What interesting items does she keep in her purse, in a locked desk drawer, or a compartment hidden under the rug? What does she own? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHAT DO I KEEP OR CARRY IN MY POSSESSION? • It’s all about one item: the . • Gear or equipment that helps me with . • A collection of . • My entire estate. Next, flesh out your idea with some details: When and how did you acquire these possessions? What did it cost you? Where can you get more, if you had to? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR POSSESSION? a magnifying glass, a pair of old revolvers, safe-cracking tools, a world-renowned painting, my multi-billion dollar company, a warehouse full of junk, a necklace that belonged to my mother B HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR POSSESSIONS IN GENERAL? an arsenal of medieval weapons, a pawn shop full of wonders, Burke Industries Inc., a farm at the edge of the city C WHAT OTHER IMPORTANT ITEM IS IN YOUR POSSESSION? a police badge, a shotgun, black catsuit, a golden ring, a luxurious yacht, hobo rags, a picture of the man who killed my mother D WHAT COMPONENT OR ATTACHMENT ADDED TO ONE OF YOUR ITEMS CAN CHANGE OR IMPROVE ITS FUNCTION? magnifying glass c fingerprint kit, a pair of old revolvers c hollow point rounds, a shotgun c cable-gun extension, cherry red 66’ Chevy c liquid nitrogen tank, a luxurious yacht c helipad and helicopter, a sniper rifle c telescopic sight E WHAT KIND OF STUNTS OR MOVES DO YOU TYPICALLY DO WITH YOUR POSSESSIONS? gunslinging stunts, quick draw, pick a lock, sales pitch, throw money at the problem, hostile takeover, find a needle in a haystack, threatening monologue F WHAT HELPS YOU CONCEAL YOUR POSSESSIONS OR THE FACT YOU ARE USING THEM? concealed holster, unregistered warehouse, no license plate, sound suppressor, fake paperwork G WHAT KEEPS YOUR POSSESSIONS SAFE? thick steel chain, alarm system, private security, inventory list, pickpocket alertness, Growlie H HOW DO YOU HANDLE, FIX, OR TAKE CARE OF YOUR POSSESSIONS? firearms workshop, jeweler, animal husbandry, DIY guru, repair kit I WHAT USEFUL QUALITY DO YOUR POSSESSIONS HAVE? adjusted sights, robust, fastest bike in town, good traction, refreshing, one of a kind J WHAT ITEM COMPLETES A SET WITH YOUR OTHER POWER TAGS? magnifying glass, police badge c standard issue pistol, safe-cracking tools, black catsuit c glass cutter, yacht, helicopter c sports car 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 127

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT TECHNICAL OR PRACTICAL FLAW DO YOUR ITEMS OR POSSESSIONS HAVE? chipped away, slippery grip, guzzler, expensive to use, loud, older model, weapon jam, ugly as hell, short-range B WHAT BAD HABITS OR TRAITS RELATED TO YOUR POSSESSIONS DO YOU DISPLAY? possessive, big spender, too reliant on gear, reclusive nutjob, constantly fidgeting with equipment C WHAT CONDITIONS COULD RENDER YOUR POSSESSIONS LESS EFFECTIVE? rusty, dirt in the mechanism, useless in crowded places, can’t read in the dark, need a quiet space D WHO OR WHAT CAN PREVENT YOU FROM PUTTING YOUR POSSESSIONS TO USE? sentimental value, never strike an unarmed foe, concerned board of directors, police in hot pursuit, running out of ammo EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive or belief related to your possessions. For example: • (Surveillance gear) “This government is going down.” • (Pawn shop) “Everyone deserves a second chance.” • (Getaway car) “They’ll never catch me!” You can try exploring the following options: • What these specific possessions mean to you • A general belief about possessions, wealth, gear, etc. • What you intend to do with your possessions Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means you are losing interest in your possessions or losing the drive to use them. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates your possessions or what they mean for you. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Surveillance gear) Stevo’s Conspiracy-Busting Van • (Pawn shop) Second Chance Pawnbrokers • (Getaway car) Red Hot CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them admires what you have (and maybe secretly desires it, too). Take a Help point on them. • One of them thinks THEY should be in possession of your things. Ask them why. Whatever they answer, take a Hurt point on them. • When you acquired your possessions, one of them was involved. If they helped you or even gave you your possessions, take a Help point on them. If they got in your way or tried to take your possessions, take a Hurt point on them. 128 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

POSSESSIONS THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Found it! Once per session, create a temporary tag that describes an item. It’s The Gift That Keeps On Giving Whenever you have an ongoing tag that you created which describes an item, you can make it into a permanent power tag (of this theme). If you already have a permanent power tag created by this move, you must discard it to use this move again. You can discard the permanent power tag whenever you wish. Tools Of The Trade Choose a power tag question from the Training or Routine themebooks that reflects skills or benefits associated with your possessions, and answer it. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. Quartermaster Once per scene, you can let another player use a power tag from this theme, provided that tag describes an item or thing that can be given, and that you can reasonably give it to them (or could have previously given it to them). You do not need to make the Change The Game move to do so. Quality Matters One of your items or possessions is a real gem, perfect for what it was made for. Choose one tag from this theme. It must describe an item or possession. Any Core Move you make using this tag is Dynamite! A a van packed with surveillance gear E find a needle in a haystack F no license plate POSSESSIONS Stevo’s Conspiracy -Busting Van “This government is going down.” D police in hot pursuit 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 129

A JOB OR OCCUPATION • A POLITICAL POSITION • A ROLE IN AN ORGANIZATION • RESPONSIBILITY OVER SOMEONE’S CARE • A TIME-CONSUMING HOBBY • DAILY SURVIVAL • BUMMING AROUND • SCHOOL • CRIMINAL ACTIVITY ROUTINE Beyond all the other things that push you here and there in life, there is always one thing that you come back to: your routine. It’s what you actually do with your time, what most of your waking hours are dedicated to. Many of the City’s adult residents spend most of their time carrying out their jobs. Perhaps you are a lawyer, a nurse, or a window cleaner. Others spend their time caring for family, friends, or property; attending kindergarten, school or college; indulging in a life of pleasures and debauchery; or simply wandering about the City streets, people-watching, junk-hunting, or for no good reason. LOGOS THEMEBOOK 130 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life. What is her daily routine? How does she spend her time? When she wakes up in the morning (or whenever), what kind of day is waiting for her? What kind of night? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHAT ROUTINE ACTIVITY TAKES UP MOST OF YOUR TIME? • I work as . • I take care of . • I spend time . Next, flesh out your idea with some details: How long have you been doing this? Why do you do it? What is your daily routine? What do you like or dislike about it? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME? city official, archaeologist, police officer, office building caretaker, hobo, burger flipper, single dad, corporate board member B WHAT PRIVILEGES COME WITH THE TERRITORY OF WHAT YOU DO? city waterways access, popular antiques merchant, the badge, union membership, nobody bothers me, employee rights, a quiet night, company resources C WHAT SORT OF TOOLS DO YOU USE? emergency services radio, forgery kit, standard issue pistol, a mop, shopping cart full of junk, McYummy uniform, diaper bag, a tailor-made suit D WHO USUALLY HELPS YOU? my boss, business connections, previous field training officer, pest control, the pigeons, the new guy, Sam – my eldest daughter, this week’s personal assistant E WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES? knows every street, general history, the City’s organized crime, logistics, junk can tell stories, health & safety regulations, daytime television shows, outsmart the competition F WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIVITY DO YOU ENGAGE IN AS PART OF YOUR MAIN OCCUPATION? plumbing, smuggling, asking questions, befriending hotshots, mad street preaching, cooking, schedule coordination, evaluating risk G WHAT TRICK HAVE YOU PICKED UP DOING WHAT YOU DO? understands how water moves, disable security systems, get out of handcuffs, remove blood stains, hide in the dumpster, juggling, who needs sleep anyway, embezzling H WHAT QUALITY DO YOU NOW POSSESS BECAUSE OF YOUR ROUTINE? hold my breath, haggler, drilled in field tactics, looks harmless, eidetic memory, can hold my own under stress, calm in the storm, elegance I WHERE DO YOU CARRY OUT YOUR ROUTINE, OR WHERE DO YOU GO TO ESCAPE IT? secret underwater hideout, the antiques shop, Mickey’s bar, lord of the cafeteria (after hours), I own the streets, my tiny apartment, smoke on the porch, luxurious office J WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE SAME PLACE EVERY DAY? hard-working man, a passion for the past, commitment to the job, the mailman, endless curiosity, dreams of being an actress, love for my family, the thrill of winning 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 131

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A AT THE END OF YOUR DAY, WHAT ARE YOU LEFT WITH? wet and smelly, black market heat, a pain behind the eyes, all alone, the voices in my head, sorely underpaid, cranky kids who won’t go to bed, pangs of remorse B WHAT ARE THE MUNDANE LIMITS OR DOWNSIDES OF YOUR ROUTINE? “You have no authority here!”, small-time operation, standard issue gear, “It’s only the janitor”, so hungry, risk of being fired, can’t always be there, dog-eat-dog C WHO OR WHAT CAN INTERFERE WITH YOUR ROUTINE? waterworks crisis, City customs, “Calling all units…”, irritable building manager, another downpour, unmanageable workload, kids fight, the Chairwoman D WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE THROWN OUT OF YOUR ROUTINE? like a fish out of water, overcompensating, must follow procedure, old geezer, socially inept, too afraid to go big, no idea what I want, hates to compromise EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive or belief related to your routine. For example: • (Police officer) “I can’t risk it. Just a few more years to retirement.” • (Crazy homeless hobo) “Doomsday is upon us!” • (Corporate board member) “The good of the company comes first.” You can try exploring the following options: • How you feel about your routine • Why you hold on to your routine • What you need to believe to carry out your routine Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means you are losing interest in your routine or feeling the need for a change. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates your everyday routine. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Police officer) Beat Nights • (Crazy homeless hobo) Manic Street Preacher • (Corporate board member) Corporate Shark CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them is a regular part of your routine. If your routine is to promote them, care for them, or help them, or if they help you with your routine, take a Help point on them. If your routine is to work against them or they might interfere with your routine, take a Hurt point on them. • You think one of them has a penchant for mayhem or drama and could destabilize your routine if you let them. Take a Hurt point on them. • One of them views your routine as rather prosaic, mundane, or repetitive. Ask them whether they look down on it or they admire your for it. If they look down on it, take a Hurt point on them. If they admire you for it, take a Help point on them. 132 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

ROUTINE THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Incidental Shuteye When you have some downtime, if you do not choose to recover all your burnt tags, you still recover one burnt tag. All In A Day’s Work Once per scene, if you are in the middle of your routine and you make a Core Move as part of your routine, you can choose to make it Dynamite! Good Memory Every session, you can choose to get up to three Clues on a location or person within the domain of your routine. The first Clue is free. When you take the second Clue, the MC gets to ask you a question, which you must answer truthfully. On the third Clue, you expose yourself to danger (as in the Investigate move). Why I Do This Choose and answer a power tag question from the Training, Mission, or Defining Relationship themebooks that reflects your background, your dedication, or the people involved in your daily routine. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. Getting Good At This Choose a Core Move that best represents the most common action you take during your daily routine. Whenever you use it with tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! A corporate board member D this week’s personal assistant F evaluating risk ROUTINE Corporate Shark “The good of the company comes first.” C the Chairwoman 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 133

EDUCATION • COMBAT OR MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING • JACK OF ALL TRADES • AN INTERNSHIP OR APPRENTICESHIP • LIFE EXPERIENCE • FIELD RECORD • RESEARCH TRAINING Modern life offers countless and varied opportunities to learn, practice, and eventually master a skillset or a knowledge domain. Whether through disciplined and rigorous physical exercise, a painful process of trial and error, or a careful analysis of data, you have learned the ins-and-outs of your field of expertise. Perhaps you are a dangerous martial artist, an ex-navy seal, a spy, an opera singer, or an acrobatic circus trainee. Alternatively, the training you acquired can be a lot more mundane, yet still useful. Perhaps you trained as a security guard, studied every detail of the City’s historic architecture, or learned how to haggle at the market. While training can often correlate with one’s occupation, it isn’t necessarily your job, or even something you actively engage in during your everyday life. Training could be something from your past, a personal interest or hobby, or just something you know how to do. If you want this theme to focus on your everyday occupation rather than your expertise, choose the Routine themebook instead. LOGOS THEMEBOOK 134 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

CONCEPT Think about your character’s modern-day life. Is she an expert, a scholar, or a master? Has she spent a lot of time honing a skill or studying a field? Based on this, think about the answer to the question below: ? WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE? • I am a master of . • In the past, I trained in . • I have learned the art of . • I know all there is to know about . Next, flesh out your idea with some details: When and under what circumstances did the training take place? Who was responsible for the training? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Answer the first question; then choose two more questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your character during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT DO YOU DO, OR KNOW, BEST? boxing, martial arts, computers, circus acrobatics, applied chemistry, law, metalworking, logical deduction, instigator of civil unrest B WITHIN YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE, AT WHICH SPECIFIC SKILL OR SUBJECT DO YOU EXCEL? stealth, mean right hook, use opponent’s strength, making bombs, firearm modification, art appraisal C WHAT OTHER TANGENT FIELD HAVE YOU VENTURED INTO INDIRECTLY? climbing, gambling, research methods, animal handling, crime scene investigation, technical troubleshooting D WHAT MOVE, METHOD, MANEUVER, HABIT, OR TRICK DID YOU PICK UP DURING YOUR TRAINING? eye on the door, dodge, hotwire an engine, threaten with violence, chant the golden crane sutra E WHAT QUALITY OR TRAIT DID YOUR TRAINING FOSTER? marksmanship, can take a pounding, hardboiled, poker face, an eye for details, careful and measured, hardliner F NAME A TEACHER, TRAINER, OR FELLOW TRAINEE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR HELP IN THIS FIELD. Grand Master Xian, Old Man River, prof. Chandra, a university chum, Buster the demolitions dog G WHAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT RELATED TO YOUR TRAINING DO YOU NORMALLY HAVE ACCESS TO? improvised weapons, lock-picking tools, rappelling harness, evidence bag, botany textbook H AGAINST WHO OR WHAT DOES YOUR TRAINING GIVE THE BEST RESULTS? crowd-pleaser, military strategy, the Knight Templars, spot structural weakness I UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS DOES YOUR TECHNIQUE WORK BEST? under the cover of darkness, laboratory access, “When I see it, I’ll know”, experienced Alpine survivalist J WHAT UNUSUAL NEW APPLICATION OF YOUR TRAINING ARE YOU EXPLORING? get into the suspect’s head, experimental car engines, pin-down opponent with footwork, money laundering 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 135

WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your character’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT IS THE MOST PROBLEMATIC FLAW IN YOUR TECHNIQUE? scattered notes, short-sighted, designed for single combat, outdated methods, inexperienced B HOW DID YOUR TRAINING ADVERSELY AFFECT YOUR PSYCHE OR BODY? tyrannical tendencies, over-confident, sleepless nights, busted knee C WHO IS AFTER YOU DUE TO YOUR PROMINENCE IN THE FIELD? underworld reputation, academic rival, “they threaten to shut down my research”, pushy fans D NAME A FLAW UNIQUE TO A SPECIFIC MOVE OR METHOD YOU DESCRIBED IN YOUR POWER TAGS. mean right hook c exposed after right hook, threaten with violence c threats require a disguise, making bombs c need to prepare EXTRA TAGS If you have not done so in other themebooks, you may choose one additional power tag question and one additional weakness tag question to answer. Write both tags on your theme card as above. IDENTITY Choose an Identity for this theme: an absolute statement that captures an attitude, motive, or belief related to your training. For example: • (Circus acrobat) “Nothing is more important than my freedom.” • (Spy) “No one can ever see the real me.” • (City architecture expert) “I must tell you just one more detail about this building…” You can try exploring the following options: • A doctrine, conviction, or attitude that has become ingrained in you due to your training • The goal or purpose for which you started your training • Opinions you hold on your peers or competitors Write your Identity on your theme card. Acting in conflict with this statement means you are losing faith in your training or losing the drive to apply what you learned. Let everyone at the table know what could constitute acting against this Identity. TITLE Name your theme in a way that encapsulates your proficiency or style. Write its name on your theme card under TITLE. For example: • (Circus acrobat) Born to Fly • (Spy) That Quiet Guy • (City architecture expert) Architecture Buff CREW RELATIONSHIPS When creating the relationships within your crew, you can cast the other crew members in one of the following scenarios, after receiving their approval: • One of them was there to support you while you trained, perhaps even mentored you. Take a Help point on them. • One of them looks down on your training and finds it morally questionable, inefficient, or distasteful. If it makes you want to impress them, take a Help point on them. If it makes you want to punch them, take a Hurt point on them. • One of them helps you keep your act sharp. If it’s because they’re competing with you or threatening you, take a Hurt point on them; otherwise, take a Help point on them. 136 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

TRAINING THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Expert Advice Once per scene, you can let another player use a power tag from this theme, provided that tag describes a skill that you can reasonably teach them (or could have taught them in advance). You do not need to make the Change The Game move to do so. Broad Training Once per session, you can create a temporary story tag that reflects a useful method or detail covered by your training, within reason. Sense of Purpose Choose and answer a power tag question from the Routine, Defining Event, or Mission themebooks that describes how you are applying your training today or an outcome of the way you acquired this training. Write down the answer as a new power tag on this theme. It’s Showtime Choose a single power tag from this theme. When you burn it for a hit, you get an automatic result of 9 (instead of 7) and a Power of 3, for a total unmodified score of 12. Statuses apply to both your automatic result and your Power, as usual. Getting Good At This Choose a Core Move that best represents the actions you most often use your training for. Whenever you use it with tags from this theme, it’s Dynamite! A circus acrobatics C animal handling G rappelling harness TRAINING Born to Fly “Nothing is more important than my freedom.” B over-confident 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 137

138 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

LANCE SULLIVAN, REPORTER FOR THE CITY HERALD (DON QUIXOTE) In Step 2, Lamar established Sullivan’s four themes (see page 69): • Routine (Logos) - investigative reporter • Defining Relationship (Logos) - Sánchez • Possessions (Logos) - retro car and gear • Bastion (Mythos) - knightly protector Moving on to Step 3, Lamar fills out the four theme cards, using the four corresponding themebooks. He’s eager to choose his Mythos powers, so he starts with Bastion. BASTION THEME Going over the concept section, Lamar decides that since Don Quixote lives in a world of fantasy, Sullivan will have the ability to dream up knightly armor and weaponry. However, because they are, in a way, figments of his imagination, Lamar decides that these powers will appear as spectral apparitions rather than tangible objects. Moving over to the power tag questions, Lamar answers the first question (which is obligatory) and writes down the answer as the first power tag on this theme’s card. A WHAT QUALITY OR ABILITY GRANTED BY YOUR MYTHOS MOST OFTEN PROTECTS YOU? spectral armor He then picks out two more power tag questions, answers them, and writes down the answers as power tags: B WHAT MEANS DO YOU HAVE OF EXTENDING PROTECTION TO OTHERS? a shield to match G WHAT OTHER EFFECT OR QUALITY, NOT NECESSARILY DEFENSIVE, CAME WITH YOUR DEFENSE? the lance of honor Later, Alice the MC might ask Lamar what exactly he means by the lance of honor: is it something to be used in a conversation or a fight? Lamar plans to explain that this tag represents a spectral lance that Sullivan can conjure to actually fight others with, when his cause is honorable. Lamar moves on to the weakness tag questions. He picks out one and answers it, writing the answer on his Bastion theme card: D WHAT PERSONALITY TRAIT DERIVED FROM YOUR DEFENSE GETS YOU INTO TROUBLE? delusional Next he thinks of this theme’s Mystery. In the story, Don Quixote imagines that a neighboring farm girl is his damsel in distress, and names her Dulcinea. Lamar decides that Sullivan doesn’t know who his Dulcinea is, but his Mythos is urging him to find out. How else could he protect her? Therefore, he puts down “Who is my Dulcinea?” as Sullivan’s Mystery for this theme. To wrap up the theme, he titles it Imaginary Knight, and moves on to the next theme. ROUTINE THEME Lamar picks up the Routine themebook and starts going over it. Considering the questions in the concept section, Lamar decides that Sullivan has been working as a reporter since he lost everything when the pond appeared, a major event his crew is built around. He is most often covering stories about people who vanished during the event and he makes a meager living out of it. In the power tag questions, Lamar answers the first question and two more of his choice, as before. He writes each answer on the theme card as a power tag: A WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME? investigative reporter G WHAT TRICK HAVE YOU PICKED UP DOING WHAT YOU DO? lockpicking J WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE SAME PLACE EVERY DAY? sorrow for the victims 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 139

He then chooses a weakness tag question and answers it, noting down the theme’s weakness tag on the card: C WHO OR WHAT CAN INTERFERE WITH YOUR ROUTINE? reluctant witnesses For an Identity, Lamar wants a statement that will encapsulate Sullivan’s commitment to the cases he is investigating. He writes down “The people of this neighborhood deserve to know.” If Sullivan ever acts to the contrary during the game, he will start marking Crack and might end up replacing this theme. Finally, he titles the theme Searching For The Lost. DEFINING RELATIONSHIP THEME Moving on to his next theme, Lamar goes over the Defining Relationship themebook. He already knows that Sullivan has a Defining Relationship with his podgy partner and photographer, Alejandro Sánchez. Going over the concept section, he also decides that Sánchez, who is a Sleeper, has no idea about Sullivan’s abilities. As such, he often helps Sullivan cope with mundane reality. He chooses the following power tags: A WHY IS THIS RELATIONSHIP SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? saves my butt every time C WHAT WERE YOU FORCED TO LEARN BECAUSE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP? reality check H NAME AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU SHARE. long unbreakable speeches The last tag is a bit of a stretch, because Sullivan and Sánchez don’t technically share long unbreakable speeches, they inflict them upon one another. But Lamar is amused by the idea and thinks it would be a fun tag to use during the game. For a weakness tag, Lamar chooses something he knows Sullivan does quite frequently: D UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD THEY BE UNABLE TO HELP YOU? ignore his warning Sánchez is a down-to-earth, pragmatic man. He would very much like Sullivan to stop putting himself at risk so he takes every opportunity to try and dissuade his partner from putting himself in unnecessary danger (hence the long unbreakable speeches). With this tag, every time Sullivan takes an action that ignores Sánchez’s warnings and this tag activates, he will have one less point of Power but also gain a point of Attention. Lamar thinks this could be quite comical on the verge of tragic, which fits Sullivan’s Mythos and overall story perfectly. Lamar considers the relationship Sullivan and Sánchez have. It’s based on hard-earned trust; maybe they even worked together before the lake showed up. He thinks about a statement that can capture this. For an Identity, he puts down “If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead.” If Sullivan ever questions this, for example, if he suspected Sánchez for betraying him or trying to act against him, he stands to mark Crack, which could eventually bring him to replace this theme. Lamar wraps up by titling this theme My Sancho Panza. POSSESSIONS THEME Addressing Sullivan’s final theme, Lamar picks up the Possessions themebook and reads through it. His concept for this theme is already quite solid – he wants Sullivan to be a typical old-school reporter, wearing a worn-out leather jacket and driving an old beat-up Mustang, whose trunk is full of surprises. He’s got plenty of ideas for tags, so when he reads the power tag questions he ends up answering several of them and answering some of them more than once: A WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR POSSESSION? a beat-up old Mustang C WHAT OTHER IMPORTANT ITEM IS IN YOUR POSSESSION? a worn-out leather jacket, a rusty crowbar D WHAT COMPONENT OR ATTACHMENT ADDED TO ONE OF YOUR ITEMS CAN CHANGE OR IMPROVE ITS FUNCTION? nitrous oxide injection system 140 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

J WHAT ITEM COMPLETES A SET WITH YOUR OTHER POWER TAGS? a sawed-off shotgun Lamar writes down a beat-up old Mustang on his card because it’s the answer to the first question, which is obligatory. He also wants this to be his broad tag because he wants to be able to pull out all sorts of useful things from the trunk of his car, which the MC approves. After going over the rest of his answers, he chooses a worn-out leather jacket and a sawed-off shotgun and writes them down on the theme card. Later, when he clocks some Attention and earns an improvement, he can pick up the remaining tags. To gain Attention, this theme needs a weakness tag. Lamar wants it to indicate the general condition of his gear so he chooses: A WHAT TECHNICAL OR PRACTICAL FLAW DO YOUR ITEMS OR POSSESSIONS HAVE? wear and tear Finally, for his Possessions Identity, Lamar chooses a statement that tells something about Sullivan’s relationship with his tools, as well as adding to his personality: “I believe in a good ole, tried and true piece of equipment.” He names this theme Retro Renegade. EXTRA TAGS Lamar can choose to take extra power and weakness tags for one of his themes. Going over his cards, he sees a lot of potential for growth in all of Sullivan’s themes. However, feeling that the romantic aspect of his Mythos could do with additional airtime, he decides to give the extra tags to his Bastion theme. He chooses an additional power tag question and an additional weakness tag question, answers them, and writes down the answers in their respective spaces on the theme card. H WHO OR WHAT WERE YOUR POWERS MEANT TO PROTECT? in defense of love C TO WHAT ATTACKS IS YOUR DEFENSE SUSCEPTIBLE? reality hurts With these tags, Sullivan is stronger when he’s acting in defense of love, a circumstance which may crop up in different ways during play. When Alice the MC asks for clarification regarding reality hurts, Lamar explains that since Sullivan’s knighthood is imaginary, it is more effective against Mythos powers (which also come from imagined stories, in a way) and less effective against real-world attacks such as punches, baseball bats, and gunshots (as long as they are not backed by a Mythos). Since this is a pretty clear-cut interpretation, the MC approves. ALMOST DONE Sullivan’s theme cards are ready for the game. After Lamar and his friends wrap up their characters, they go back to a group discussion in order to create their crew and the relationships between their characters. Any additional details about their characters will be completed in the last phase of the Exposition Session, “A Day In The Life”. 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 141

Bastion Routine “Who is my Dulcinea?” “The people of this neighborhood deserve to know.” Spectral armor Shield to match The lance of honor In defense of love a b g h a g j d c c Investigative reporter Lockpicking Sorrow for the victims Delusional Reality hurts Reluctant witnesses Imaginary knight Searching for the lost 142 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

Defining Relationship Possessions “If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead.” “I believe in good ole, tried and true piece of equipment.” a c h a c J d a Saves my butt every time Reality check Long unbreakable speeches A beat-up old Mustang A worn-out leather jacket A sawed-off shotgun Ignore his warnings Wear and tear My Sancho Panza Retro renegade 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 143

Once the players finish character creation and each player has his character’s cards filled out, it’s time to focus on the crew. Every player introduces his character to the rest of the group. The group now decides on what resources they have as a team, what binds them together, and what has the potential to break them apart. This is reflected in the crew theme and in crew relationships. 144 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

THE CREW THEME The crew theme represents the shared resources and beliefs of the crew, as well as its weaknesses. It is built like the character themes: three power tags, one weakness tag, and a Mystery or an Identity. The details of the theme are chosen together by all the players and the MC. Take an empty crew theme card and fill it out based on the crew themebook below, just as you would with a character’s theme card. CHOOSING CREW POWER TAGS Crew power tags function similarly to the PCs’ power tags: when a player activates a move, he can invoke one or more crew power tags (if the tag is appropriate to the action taken), gaining another point of Power for each tag, as usual. However, unlike character power tags, crew power tags are single-use; once used in a move, they are burnt and become unavailable until they are recovered. Read more about using crew power tags under Tags in Crew and Extra Themes (page 215). The same guidelines given for choosing character power tags apply when choosing crew power tags. A crew cannot have more than one broad tag (even if later the crew gains additional crew themes) and all the power tags should describe things useful to all crew members, such as a resource that is shared by the entire crew. Unlike character power tags (which are limited by the theme type), a crew theme’s power tag can describe both mundane and legendary or magical details. There is no limitation on the content of the description except that it must be related to the theme as a whole. CAN A CREW HAVE A MYTHOS? While it can be somewhat unusual and would not fit every series concept, a crew can become a Rift for a Mythos. This stipulates that a Mythos other than the Mythoi of the lead characters is telling its story through the crew as a whole. For example, the Mythos of Jason’s Argonauts could be seeking to tell its story through a street gang riding a souped up van. Adding a Mythos to your crew is a purely narrative decision and bears no impact on the rules of the game. Crew themes do not have a Mythos or Logos type. However, an overarching Mythos could be a way to explain supernatural occurences around the group as well as Mythos powers that they seem to display only when the crew members are together. It can be included in the series concept from the start or introduced as a discovery at a later point. CHOOSING CREW WEAKNESS TAGS Crew weakness tags function similarly to the player characters’ weakness tags. Whenever any crew member takes an action to which the crew weakness tag can be appropriately applied, the crew weakness tag may be invoked, reducing the Power for that action by one. Every time the crew weakness point is activated, the crew theme gains Attention. Read more about using crew weakness tags under Tags in Crew and Extra Themes (page 215). The same guidelines given for choosing character weakness tags apply when choosing crew weakness tags: they should describe things that hinder and complicate the crew members’ actions, never things that help them or drive them to action. As an additional guideline, crew power tags should describe a weakness that is plaguing all the crew members or the crew as a whole. However, unlike character weakness tags (which are limited by the theme type), a crew theme’s weakness tags can describe both mundane and legendary or magical details. There are no limitations on the content of the description except that it must be related to the theme as a whole. 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 145

CHOOSING A CREW MYSTERY OR IDENTITY The crew’s Mystery or Identity is the glue that binds the crew together, the reason for which they are operating as a crew. In a way, it is the boileddown version of the series concept created at the beginning of the Exposition Session: either a question all crew members are trying to answer together or a conviction all crew members share. The group can choose whether to phrase this core aspect as a Mystery or an Identity. It is essential that not only the players but also the characters they portray agree with this agenda of the crew, even if it is an unspoken agreement. For example, if a group playing a crew of vigilantes chooses the Identity “Someone has to do the dirty work to keep this City clean”, all crew members should conform to this statement at least to some extent. If a team of conspiracy busters wants to know “Who is behind the kidnappings?”, and chooses this question as their Mystery, it means everyone agrees that this question is the most important thing, for now. Remember, the characters start the game already knowing each other and have worked with each other for a while, at least long enough to have a joint purpose. This is not to say all members completely agree on what drives the crew but simply that for the time being they agree to set aside any qualms they might have. Once the game starts, anything can happen. A crew Mystery functions similarly to the player characters' Mysteries: it is a question that embodies what the crew is searching for. Whenever any crew member has a chance of obtaining new information regarding the crew’s Mystery and foregoes it, she erodes the crew theme, which could eventually lead to losing the theme completely. Read more about crew theme evolution during the game in Chapter 4: Moments of Truth. A crew Identity functions similarly to the PCs’ Identities: it is a statement that captures the essential attitude, belief, or goal shared by all crew members. Whenever any crew member acts contrary to this statement, she erodes the crew theme, which could eventually lead to losing the theme completely, as in the case of a Mystery. The same guidelines given for choosing character Mysteries and Identities apply here. A crew Mystery must be a deep and burning question that drives the crew to investigate and take action in order to find answers. A crew Identity must be a real and binding statement that drives the crew to take action and reflects their motive. The crew’s Mystery or Identity should also be related to the nature of the crew as it was defined in the series concept and to the power and weakness tags in the crew theme. THE CREW THEMEBOOK CONCEPT Review the concept of your crew as a reflection of the series concept you all agreed upon at the beginning of the Exposition Session. Flesh it out together by thinking about the following questions: ? WHAT IS OUR SHARED GOAL? ? WHO OR WHAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER? ? WHY DO WE WORK TOGETHER? WHAT DOES EACH MEMBER CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE? ? WHERE DO WE MEET? WHERE DO WE COLLECT OUR EVIDENCE OR PREPARE FOR ACTION? ? WHAT SORT OF RESOURCES DO WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL? POWER TAG QUESTIONS Choose three questions to answer. Answer each question with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will be useful to your crew during the game. Each answer becomes a power tag. Write it on your crew theme card under POWER TAGS along with the letter of the question. 146 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

A HOW DO YOU HELP, ASSIST, OR SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER? catch overlooked details, tactical coordination, a prayer of protection, watch each other’s back, the bond of Zeus’s children B WHERE DO YOU MEET, WORK, REST, OR PREPARE FOR ACTION? Havana Club, headquarters on the docks, Sylvia’s book shop, the classroom, the Olympus dimension C WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED TO DO WELL TOGETHER? good-cop-bad-cop technique, storm the target, a summoning ritual, breaking and entry, toy with the mortals D WHO IS GUIDING, BACKING, OR ASSISTING YOUR OPERATION? Lily – our moral compass, the Client, spirit animal, the professor, almighty Zeus E HOW DO YOU GET AROUND? rooftops, armored assault vehicle, knowledge of the subway tunnels, the van, Hermes’ winged sandals F WHAT ENVIRONMENTS OR SITUATIONS ARE YOU MOST COMFORTABLE IN? morally gray situations, under the cloak of darkness, on hallowed ground, lots of witnesses, admired and worshipped G WHAT SPECIAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION DO YOU HAVE? police informant, the hackers at Oversight, unexplained intuitions, you don’t fool us, telepathy H WHAT SORT OF REPUTATION OR NAME HAVE YOU MADE FOR YOURSELVES? neighborhood support, underworld reputation, known in the Otherworld, the corrupt fear us, government connections I WHAT APPROACH OR TACTIC DO YOU SHARE IN TACKLING CHALLENGES? ruthless punishment, divide and conquer, harmony and peace, keep a cool head, divine superiority J WHAT KIND OF SPECIAL GEAR, RESOURCE, OR POWER IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL? dark clothing, arsenal of firearms, mystical supplies, boobytraps, Pandora’s box WEAKNESS TAG QUESTIONS Choose one question to answer. Answer it with a single description no more than a few words long. In your answer, you should describe something that will impede your crew’s actions during the game. Your answer becomes a weakness tag. Write it on your theme card under WEAKNESS TAGS along with the letter of the question. A WHAT IS FLAWED OR LACKING IN THE WAY YOU OPERATE TOGETHER? no clear leadership, overconfident, in over our heads, we keep losing each other, egotistical backstabbers B HOW DO YOU GET EACH OTHER INTO TROUBLE? who is watching the suspect?, friendly fire, big mouth, stumble into each other, vying for the spotlight C WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU ALL AFRAID OF? exposed family members, the Client, Cult of the Seventh Circle, not taken seriously, uncle Poseidon D WHAT PLACES OR SITUATIONS DO YOU FIND TOUGH TO HANDLE? legal problems, never involve personal matters, real-life problems, too afraid to look, we’re only human 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 147

MYSTERY OR IDENTITY Choose a Mystery or an Identity for this theme. For example: • (Paramilitary mercenaries) “Get it done. Get Paid. Don’t ask questions.” • (High school detective team) “What strange forces are meddling with our school and why?” • (Greek gods) “It’s either us or the Titans.” You can try exploring the following options: • Something you all agree must be done or must never be allowed. (Identity) • The central question in a case you all want to solve. (Mystery) • A code of conduct you all abide by. (Identity) • A strange riddle which is the key to your destiny. (Mystery) Write your Mystery or Identity on your crew theme card. TITLE Name your crew theme in a way that encapsulates your crew’s nature and style. Write it on your crew theme card. For example: • (Paramilitary mercenaries) Guns for Hire • (High school detective team) The City High Gang • (Greek gods) The Olympians CREW THEME IMPROVEMENTS During the game, whenever you gain an improvement for this theme, you can choose one of the following: Tight Like That Once per session, when one of you uses Juice points to help or interfere with another crew member’s move, you gain one more point of Juice to do so. Quality Matters One of the items or possessions of your crew is a real gem, perfect for what it was made for. Choose one tag from the crew theme. It must describe an item or a possession. Any Core Move you make using this tag is Dynamite! Sacrifice When two or more of you Face Danger against the same status and you get a hit, you may choose to extend the hit to one other crew member, at the cost of exposing yourself. On a 10+, they take no status and you take the status with -1 tier. On a 7-9, they take the status with -1 tier and you take the full status. If the move is Dynamite!, on a 12+, you can choose to fully protect both of you (instead of choosing one of the other 12+ options). Pull It Together Once per session, you can recover a burnt crew power tag. Black Sheep Choose together one crew member who is the black sheep of the crew. When the black sheep of the crew acts against your Mystery or Identity, it’s expected, so it does not weaken your crew. For everyone else, overlooking the black sheep’s actions does not count as acting against your Mystery or Identity either. You can choose a new black sheep at the beginning or end of each session. QUICK START CREW THEMES The following crew themes correspond to the crew types suggested in the Series Concept section. You can use them as they are or tweak them to the needs of your game: 148 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE

Crew Theme Crew Theme “Investigating is a hobby. Our personal lives come first.” “Follow protocol.” Cover for each other Inconspicuous Garage full of things Company car Company database Bend the rules Personal life calls Liability The casual detectives Company Men a I b d c e g I 2 · CHARACTER CREATION | 149

Crew Theme “Who else is involved in this?” “What ancient secrets are hidden in this City?” Won’t get fooled again Insider tip Surveillance equipment Empathic connection Guidance from a strange mystic Divine intervention Evidence disappears In over our heads Conspiracy busters Dabblers in the Mist f d j a d j a b Crew Theme 150 | CITY OF MIST · PLAYER'S GUIDE